Читать книгу Сказки / Fairy Tales. Уровень 1 - Редьярд Джозеф Киплинг - Страница 3

In the beginning of years, when the world was so new, and the animals began to work for Man, there was a Camel. He lived in the middle of a Howling Desert[8]because he did not want to work. Besides, he was a Howler[9] himself. So he ate sticks and thorns and tamarisks and milkweed and prickles. When anybody spoke to him he said ‘Humph!’ Just ‘Humph!’ and no more.

Presently the Horse came to him on Monday morning, with a saddle on his back and a bit in his mouth, and said,

‘Camel, O Camel, come out and trot like the rest of us.’

‘Humph!’ said the Camel; and the Horse went away and told the Man.

Presently the Dog came to him, with a stick in his mouth, and said,

‘Camel, O Camel, come and fetch and carry like the rest of us.’

‘Humph!’ said the Camel; and the Dog went away and told the Man.

Presently the Ox came to him, with the yoke on his neck and said,

‘Camel, O Camel, come and plough like the rest of us.’

‘Humph!’ said the Camel; and the Ox went away and told the Man.

At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and the Dog and the Ox together, and said,

‘You three, I’m very sorry for you; but that Camel in the Desert can’t work. So I want to leave him alone, and you must work double-time.’

That made the Horse and the Dog and the Ox very angry, and they discussed the situation with the Camel on the edge of the Desert. But the Camel chewed milkweed and laughed at them. Then he said ‘Humph!’ and went away again.

Presently the Djinn appeared. He was in charge of[10] all deserts. The Djinn rolled in a cloud of dust (Djinns always travel that way because it is magic), and he stopped to talk to the Three.

‘Djinn of All Deserts,’ said the Horse, ‘is it right for anyone to be idle’

‘Certainly not,’ said the Djinn.

‘Well,’ said the Horse, ‘there’s a Camel in the middle of your Howling Desert with a long neck and long legs, and he does not work at all. He doesn’t want to trot.’

‘Whew!’ said the Djinn and whistled, ‘that’s my Camel! What does he say about it?’

‘He says “Humph!”’ said the Dog; ‘and he doesn’t want to fetch and carry.’

‘Does he say anything else?’

‘Only “Humph!”; and he doesn’t want to plough,’ said the Ox.

‘Very good,’ said the Djinn. ‘I’ll humph him if you wait a minute.’

The Djinn rolled himself up in his dust-cloak, and flew away. He found the Camel most idle. The Camel looked at his own reflection in a pool of water.

‘My friend,’ said the Djinn, ‘they say you don’t work. Is it true?’

‘Humph!’ said the Camel.

The Djinn sat down, with his chin in his hand, and began to think. The Camel looked at his own reflection in the pool of water again.

‘I’ll give you three tasks on Monday morning,’ said the Djinn.

‘Humph!’ said the Camel.

‘Why do you say ‘Humph!’?’ asked the Djinn; ‘I want you to work.’

And the Camel said ‘Humph!’ again. But suddenly he saw his back and was afraid: his back puffed up into a great big humph.

‘Do you see that?’ said the Djinn. ‘That’s your own humph. You don’t work, and you have it! Now begin to work!’

‘How can I work,’ asked the Camel, ‘with this humph on my back?’

‘Today is Thursday. You will be able to work now for three days without any food’ said the Djinn, ‘because you missed three days – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. You can live on your humph. Come out of the Desert and go to the Three. Begin to work! And behave yourself!’

And the Camel went away to join the Three. And from that day to this the Camel always wears a humph. But he doesn’t know how to behave.